Time to give an account. After the good results of the increase in financing through the Income (a new record of 382 million, 23.6 more than the previous year) the Catholic Church has presented its report of activities for the year 2024, in which, among others data, highlights that 3,865,437 people were beneficiaries in one of the 8,888 centers in which social-health or assistance care is provided. Added to this is that, according to an estimate made by Deloitte, the total expenditure of the activity of parishes and dioceses reaches 1,428 million euros, “four times more in relation to what is contributed by the tax allocation.”
In this way, the Annual Report of Economic Activities of the Catholic Church expands this year the section on the important contribution that the institution makes to the Spanish economy. To the data, already raised in previous years, that the Church saves the State 4,604 million euros annually in Education, is added the economic impact of the diocesan Church, not only with the already mentioned expense of 1,428 million euros, but with the 52,000 jobs created and more than 34,000 indirect, making it one of the main employers in Spain. Furthermore, according to the estimate, the Church directly impacts the generation of 2,375 million euros of GDP and that, “for every euro of expenditure by the Church, in order to fulfill its pastoral, social and cultural mission, €1.65 are generated in the Spanish economy,” the report explains.
It is no coincidence that efforts focus on explaining the action of the different dioceses since, in practice, they are the recipients of the majority of the amount received through tax allocation. Specifically, and with the data from last year’s settlement, of the total of 329.8 million euros justified, the dioceses directly received 273.1 million and another 27.3 million were destined to pay the Social Security of the clergy. That is, 91% of the total. To get an idea of the disproportion, it should be noted that cloistered monasteries received 248,456 euros from personal income tax, 0.07% of the total.
In global data, this personal income tax contribution represents around a quarter of the total income of the Spanish dioceses, to which we must add the donations from the faithful (360.4 million in 2023), income from assets and activities. economic (157.4 million), and other currents such as subsidies and services provided, which reached 407.7 million. In addition, extraordinary income, such as disposals of assets or capital subsidies, reached 64.6 million in the last year.
Catholic school
On the other hand, and also according to studies carried out by the Episiciopal Conference, the educational work of the Church represents a saving of 4,604 million euros for the State, 9% more than last year. A saving, which is explained, according to the Episcopate, “by the efficiency in spending management in the centers and the low endowment of the concerts compared to public education.”
The presence of the Church in the world of education is reflected in the 1,498,182 students who study in the 2,536 Catholic educational centers (2,402 of them are subsidized), which have a total of 135,311 workers. In addition, a total of 2,940,793 students are enrolled in the subject of Religion. In the 2022-23 academic year, there are 8,503 more undergraduate students (122,701 in total) in the 17 Catholic-oriented universities, where 58% of undergraduate students from face-to-face private universities study.
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